A room full of opposed residents filled the Whitehaven Library to protest City Council’s decision to approve the WCs expansion. Story and picture by Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson The debate continues and most everyone wants to know, why? Why is this transfer station expansion approval a discussion item for the Memphis City Council? I guarantee you might just find out if you come to City Hall at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, July 2, 2019. Certain households on Brevard Drive, the street of homes in Whitehaven whose back and front yards are closest and/or adjacent to Waste Connections of TN, LLC, a waste transfer company located at 621 E. Brooks Road, were invited to a private tour of the company at 1 pm on Wednesday, June 12, 2019. During the outside portion of the tour, a council representatives was partially pictured covering her face from the odor and the odor was mild on the day they visited. The community said “NO” in August and again in September. The company went back to the drawing board, fired Brenda Solomito Baser and hired attorney, business owner, and former (failed attempt) council candidate Brian J. Stephens, President and Co-Founder of Caissa Public Strategy. Stephens, in turn hires an African American named Adrian Bond. I suppose Stephens may have thought our Black community would listen to Bond instead of the white person because he was Black and we are too. I guess no one had informed Stephens that Blacks can be, and often are, their own worse enemy. A Black person might just sell out their own biological mother for $2.00, if they have an opportunity. In my opinion, any smart person knows better than to just trust a person they don’t know - especially when they are Black. The District 6 appointee had already decided to hold a town hall meeting the following Monday, so what was the purpose of the tour the previous Wednesday? The invitations to the Monday meeting were actually being delivered by the U.S.P.S. while the tour was taking place, so you can’t say it wasn’t premeditated. It was purposely planned and it failed. Every official that was present had either personally appeared before the McCorkle Road Neighborhood Association when invited in 2018 or had sent a representative in their place. The appointed councilperson had to verbally acknowledge the meeting was a waste of time to herself as well as those in attendance. My question to you is what do you see when you look at this picture? I see a picture that depicts environmental racism and injustice. We are requesting everyone to join the fight at 3:30 PM Tuesday, July 2nd in council chambers. This company picks up waste products in Horn Lake and other parts of MS and TN, brings it to Whitehaven, and transfers them from Whitehaven to Walnut, MS to be buried. The waste station’s proximity to residential housing is in spitting distance of many retirees retirement homes which gives rise to serious health and safety concerns; yet the city wants to approve the expansion. You say you haven’t figured out why yet? Well, maybe I should suggest you wear something RED and come to 125 N. Main Street Tuesday, July 1st at 3:30 PM for your first free lesson in “Misleading Verbal Agreements...” I guaranteed you’ll pass the class with flying colors by the time the session is over! 13
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